2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Verheul
A Dutch surname referring to someone who resided near a hill or rising ground.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 225 Americans carry the last name Verheul. That puts it at #98,894 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,523,353 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Verheul surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
225
1 in 1,523,353
Census rank
#98,894
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
196
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 196 bearers of the surname Verheul in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 98894th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Verheul, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.9%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Verheul
The surname VERHEUL originates from the Netherlands, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Dutch phrase "ver heul," which translates to "far hill" or "distant hill." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who lived near or owned a property situated on a distant hill.
Historically, the VERHEUL name was concentrated in the provinces of Zuid-Holland and Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands. It is believed that the name first appeared in written records around the late 1500s, although the exact date and location of the earliest documented use remain uncertain.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname VERHEUL was Jan Verheul, born in Rotterdam in 1612. He was a merchant and trader who played a significant role in the Dutch East India Company's operations in Asia during the 17th century.
Another notable figure was Pieter Verheul, a Dutch artist born in Leiden in 1659. He was renowned for his landscapes and portraits, with several of his works being displayed in prestigious museums across Europe.
In the 18th century, the VERHEUL name appeared in various municipal records and church registries in the Netherlands. One such entry was the baptism of Maria Verheul in the town of Delft in 1723.
During the 19th century, the VERHEUL family expanded beyond the Netherlands, with some members emigrating to other parts of Europe and even North America. One prominent individual was Hendrik Verheul, born in Amsterdam in 1821, who became a successful businessman and philanthropist in New York City.
Another noteworthy person with the VERHEUL surname was Johanna Verheul, a Dutch author and poet born in Utrecht in 1876. Her works were widely acclaimed and influenced the literary landscape of her time.
Throughout its history, the VERHEUL surname has maintained a strong presence in the Netherlands, with various individuals making significant contributions in fields such as business, arts, and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Verheul
Among Census respondents with the surname Verheul, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.9%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Verheul bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Verheul surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.9% · 190
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Verheul
Verheul appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#111,988
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 157
+22 bearers (+16.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 6,966 places
2020
#98,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 196
+39 bearers (+24.8%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 13,094 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #111,988 | 157 | 0.05 | +22 bearers (+16.3%) | Up 6,966 places |
| 2020 | #98,894 | 196 | 0.07 | +39 bearers (+24.8%) | Up 13,094 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Verheul surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #111,988 | #98,894 | 11.7% |
| Count | 157 | 196 | 24.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.07 | 31.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Verheul bearers went from 157 to 196 (+24.8% change). The surname moved up 13,094 positions in the national ranking, going from #111,988 to #98,894.
FAQ
Verheul surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Verheul?
Name Census estimates that about 225 living Americans carry the surname Verheul. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,523,353 residents.
How common is Verheul?
Verheul ranks #98,894 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 196 people with the surname Verheul. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (225), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Verheul.
Has Verheul become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Verheul went from 157 recorded bearers to 196. That is an increase of 39 (+24.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #111,988 to #98,894.
What does the Census say about the background of Verheul?
Among Census respondents with the surname Verheul, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.9%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%) and Hispanic (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Verheul in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.9% (190 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Verheul appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Verheul (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Verheul mean?
A Dutch surname referring to someone who resided near a hill or rising ground. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Verheul (0.07 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Verheul?
Find out how many people have the last name Verheul on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.